


One Trick Ahead of Disaster

by ThatOneFanbom



Category: Aladdin (1992), Aladdin (2019), Dream SMP - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, dreamnotfound - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aladdin (Disney Movies) Fusion, Angst, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bad is the tiger, Bees for tubbo, Blood and Violence, Clay | Dream and Tommyinnit are Siblings, Cursed!Tommyinnit, Death, Dream in a cave, Dream is Aladdin, George is Jasmine, Jschlatt is Jafar, M/M, Ohoho that was a RIDE, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prophecy, Sapnap is the genie, Skeppy is Skeppy and I love him, Spanish Translation, Strangers to Friends, Swearing, Thanks for the comments!, Theft, Tommy is a Patas Monkey, Tommy is the monkey, Villain Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Violence, because Tubbo's family owns a bee farm!, no beta we die like [redacted], what will he do?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:36:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27198601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneFanbom/pseuds/ThatOneFanbom
Summary: Dream is a lovable, disaster-prone street urchin who meets Prince George, the only son of the Sultan of Agrabah. While visiting his exotic palace as a prisoner, Dream stumbles upon a legend about a magic lamp. When he finds the lamp, everybody's favorite thief unleashes a powerful, pyromaniac genie called Sapnap.As Dream and Sapnap start to become friends, they must soon embark on a mission to stop the evil sorcerer, Jschlatt, from overthrowing poor George's kingdom.What could go wrong, eh?ORMy Aladdin AU for the Dream Team + others!no worries, I'm alive lmaoo
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Dave | Technoblade, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound, Clay | Dream & Jschlatt, Clay | Dream & TommyInnit, Clay | Dream & Wilbur Soot, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound, Dave | Technoblade & Ranboo, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Eret & Floris | Fundy, GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch, GeorgeNotFound & Jschlatt, GeorgeNotFound & Karl Jacobs, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 100
Kudos: 335





	1. I'm too Far Gone But I'll Never Forget

**Author's Note:**

> DnF Aladdin Au!
> 
> <3 Leave a comment if you want! I love to read what you think!
> 
> <3  
> Katsu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was fun to write! It's just an Aladdin AU for DnF, and perhaps more-
> 
> (Title from Borderline, by Nico Collins)
> 
> :)  
> <3  
> Kastu

_"Arabian nights..."_ Sapnap shivered as a haunting voice whispered. _"Like Arabian days..."_

He knew the tune, as he had sung it many times. Before, it had been a song of joy, as it was a tribute to his homeland. Now, it was a reminder of how he had failed. 

He knew the song by heart, and he wondered if the voice was just using it to mess with his head. They've done it before, after he fucked up.

The voice sang again, starting from the beginning.

_"Oh, I come from a land, from a faraway place. Where the caravan camels roam."_

Sapnap took in a shuddering breath, wishing for an escape from this.

_"Where you wander among every culture and tongue. It's chaotic, but hey-it's home!"_

Sapnap felt close to tears. He once had so many good memories tied to the song, but those had been bathed in blood, loss, and sorrow after his master's last wish.

_"When the wind's from the east, and the sun's from the west, and the sand in the glass is right. Come on down, stop on by, hop a carpet and fly..."_

Sapnap was hit with a realization, snapping him out of his reminiscences.

_"To another Arabian night!"_

It was the sphinx. That was who the voice was. It had been so long, Sapnap had nearly forgotten she was here. But, unlike him, she wasn't trapped in a lamp.

_"As you wind through the streets at the fabled bazaars with the cardamom-cluttered stalls..."_

No, she was his "protector", the one who guarded the cave his lamp was in.

 _"You can smell every spice, while you haggle the price of the silks and the satin shawls. Oh, the music that plays as you move through a maze,"_ she sang.

Sapnap was ready for it to end.

_"In the haze of your pure delight, you are caught in a dance, you are lost in the trance of another Arabian night!"_

Sapnap leaned to press his back against the cool metal of the lamp and summoned a chair. If he was gonna have to listen to this, he was gonna do it comfortably.

_"Arabian nights, like Arabian days, more often than not are hotter than hot, in a lot of good ways!"_

Sapnap nearly laughed at that. The heat _was_ intense, but that had only helped his city's downfall, and getting him trapped in here.

_"Arabian nights, like Arabian dreams."_

Inhale. Exhale.

_"This mystical land of magic and sand is more than it seems..."_

He knew what was next, as it was the Prophecy that had haunted him ever since he was lost to time.

_"There's a road that may lead you to good or to greed, through the power your wishing commands. Let the darkness unfold or find fortunes untold. Well, your destiny lies in your hands"_

As if on cue, the cave spoke.

**"Only one may enter here, one whose worth lies far within. A diamond in the rough."**

Sapnap sighed. 

Someone had discovered the "Cave of Wonders", as the humans called it.

The Cave only spoke when it was important.

_"Arabian nights, like Arabian days,"_

The sphinx slowly got louder.

_"They seem to excite, take off and take flight, to shock and amaze!"_

She was at her loudest now. Sapnap flinched, knowing that something bad was going to happen soon. Not now, but soon. 

Call it a gut feeling.

_"Arabian nights! 'Neath Arabian moons."_

She became quieter.

_"A fool off his guard, could fall and fall hard, out there on the dunes~"_

Whispering the last few words, she became quiet again. The disturbance had passed, but Sapnap knew that this song and dance wasn't finished.

Sighing, he whispered a word that echoed through the lamp's empty space. 

"Dammit."

~

"Thief! I'll have your hands for a trophy, fucking street rat!" A street vendor spat, angrily waving his hands towards a masked man running away. His mask was circular and white, with a crudely drawn black smiley face. It covered his nose, eyes, and forehead, but left his mouth uncovered so the poor merchant could see the smirk on his face. The man hopped onto a nearby roof then paused to look at the food in his hands. "All this for a loaf of bread?" He called back to the vendor, laughing.

With that, he jumped off, landing on two ropes strung between buildings with drying clothes on them. Sliding down them, the masked man got caught in some pieces of clothes, knocking them off and cursing as he did. He was nearing the end of the rope, growing closer to a window, when a woman reached out and slammed the shutters closed _just_ as he reached it. The masked man slams into the screens and falls to the street, his fall being broken by several colorful tent covers and the pile of clothes around him. Pulling off the clothes and rubbing the back of his head repeating "ow", he heard some guards yelling as they rounded the corner.

"There he is!"

"Vermin!"

"You won't get away so easily now, _bitch_!"

Laughing as he got up, preparing to run, he quipped, "You think that was easy?"

He heard laughing from above him, then spotted the women that had shut the window. He wrapped a sheet around him as a disguise then made his way to the building, slipping inside the doors, escaping the guards.

_'For now.'_

"You two, over that way, and you, with me. We'll find him!"

“Yessir!”

“Morning, ladies!” He said cheerfully.

“Getting into trouble a little early today, aren't we, Dream?" One of them said, chuckling.

"Trouble? No way. You're only in trouble if you get caught!" Dream replied, pulling the loaf of bread out of his satchel, getting ready to eat it.

"He's in here!" 

The door was kicked down, revealing two of the guards, both big, burly, and _pissed._

Dream froze, mid-chew as the guards were about to rush him, when a reddish-brown monkey jumped onto the first guard's head, screeching. 

Quickly swallowing, he wheezed as the monkey pulled down the lead guard's turban, covering his eyes.

"Yo, Tommy! Nice!" Dream crowed, tossing the sheet off and running out the back door. "Come on, let's get outta here!"

Tommy leaped onto Dream's shoulder, screeching like a mad man-er, monkey-and they were off. 

The commotion had the other two guards running towards them, swords out, ready to attack the masked thief. Unsheathing his sword, Dream parries an attack at his head. Ducking down, he twists and jabs his blade, the weapon now knocked out of the guard's hands. Tommy, somehow on top of some barrels, knocks them down, hitting the guards and giving Dream enough time to stab the offender in the leg and run away. 

Tommy, being the little gremlin he is, grabbed a fruit bowl and stuffed his face.

Still running, Dream yells over his shoulder for Tommy to hurry up, when a new guard appears to block his path.

"Riffraff! Street rat! Scoundrel!" The guard hissed, advancing on Dream with a snarl, swinging a scimitar. It was shiny and silver, with a ruby on the pommel. The leather grip seemed new, with its sheen, and the way the guard held it suggested that he wasn't used to the weight. 

_'Obviously stolen'_ Dream thought. ' _And they're after_ me _. How ironic.'_

Dream, still with a smirk plastered on his face, stood his ground. "That's new! I've never seen one before," he mused. The guard growled in return, then lunged, swinging wildly. Dream calmly side-stepped, turned, and plunged his blade into the guard's side. Swiftly removing it, Dream pouted at the blood on his sword. "Aw, now it's dirty." Scowling at the fallen body of the guard, he kicked it, making the man cry out. 

He deserved it.

"Take that!" A boy yelled from a nearby doorway. He couldn't have been older than 15, and with his messy brown hair and doe-like chocolate eyes, he had the appearance of an angel. 

"Tubbo! You know your mother would kill me if she saw you here!" Dream said, smiling. Tubbo's family owned a bee farm, and sometimes Tubbo would take care of Tommy. They were good people, but the guards regularly robbed them more honey and would bully Tubbo and his siblings for their meager money. ' _And they think they're better than me. I gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat. But I don't assault kids to the brink of death for fun.'_

Unlike the guards, Dream had morals and a soul.

Tubbo gave one of his million-watt smiles. "I know! But don't worry Dream! I'll make sure she doesn't find out." He paused, the looked around. "Hey, is Tommy here?"

As if he was waiting for Tubbo to say that, the little shit dropped from a nearby building, shrieking swear words. Tubbo's whole face lit up seeing the patas monkey, and Dream couldn't help a genuine smile seeing the pair. Tommy was loud, reckless, and unpredictable, which balanced out Tubbo's quiet, thoughtful, and calm personality, although they both had the energy of a hamster on drugs.

Dream was pulled from his thoughts by Tubbo asking, "Have you found a way to break his curse?" 

Letting out a small sigh, Dream grimaced. "No, not yet."

Tommy had been cursed after he had insulted a witch vendor, so she cast some spell, making him become an animal familiar for her, but Dream had made a deal. 

_"50 shillings for Tomathy," Dream said, looking slightly disturbed, his usual smirk gone. After all, he had just watched his younger brother be turned into a monkey._ _The witch smiled, exposing her unnaturally sharp teeth. Her yellow eyes screamed "danger", so it was a wonder why Tommy would provoke her._

'Fucking idiot'

_"50 shillings and 10 gold, and he will become your familiar," she said. Dream sighed and muttered some very colorful words. Looking at the reddish-brown monkey that was sitting where Tommy had just stood, he reached into his leather bag where he kept his money, he pulled out the requested amount._

_"50 shillings and 10 gold."_

_Her smile got wider. "Perfect, dear."_ _She started to chant, and the Tommy-monkey started to glow red. Moments later, he had been placed at Dream's shoulder._

_"Take care!" She laughed._

Tubbo frowned, reaching up to pet the cursed primate that was playing with his hair. A small smile made its way onto Dream's face. The human Tommy had also done that, though he had bigger hands at that time.

"Anyways, can he stay here for a few hours? I need to get something from the cache," Dream asked. "Yeah!" Tubbo replied, another smile quickly replacing the frown on the smaller boy's face. 

Smiling, Dream took off, running towards the back part of the village. 

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its up! The first chapter has arrived!! :D
> 
> Enjoy your day/night!  
> <3  
> Katsu


	2. But I'm Not A Number, I Can't Be Defined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Minx, Skeppy, and George!
> 
> (Title from Run Like a Rebel, by The Score)

The cache was a smaller part of the town that Dream resided in, though it's mostly traders, scammers, thieves, and dark merchants. 

Dream loved it.

He fit right in.

Humming a song, he jumped over a fence, landing in the garbage area. Walking to the other side, he stopped when he saw two children rummaging around in a dumpster. A girl and a boy. 

The girl seemed the oldest, and when she spotted the masked stranger, she pushed her brother behind her, as if to protect him.

_'I could still take them out easily.'_

Giving them a small smile, Dream reached into the bag on his left side, where he had an apple stored. Pulling it out, he gave it to the girl, who took it with a weary look in her eyes.

It was a silent communication, a mutual understanding that they would die if they kept eating thrown out and spoiled food.

She nodded her thanks and ran off, pulling her brother behind her. 

Shaking his head, Dream continued to walk. 

~

"Goddammit, Skeppy!" Dream said, glaring at the boy in question. He had been able to spot the bright blue hair from the moment he walked in and had gone over to say hi.

Instead, he received a bucket full of water to the face.

Now, Skeppy was all but cackling as Dream removed his mask to wipe off his soaking-wet face.

Honestly? He was tempted to run him through with his sword.

"Fuck you," Dream said once he was slightly dryer. "Where's Wilbur?"

Skeppy took a breath and replied with a huge smile still on his face. "Wilbur? Haven't you heard?" Dream just responded with a glare. "Hah, yeah, he went off to get more supplies from the palace."

At this news, Dream paled.

It wasn't new for people to sneak into the palace to get more supplies, it was actually quite common.

But last time Wilbur had gone off, he nearly got caught.

And then when the next person snuck off in the dead of night, they hadn't returned.

"That mother-" Dream sighed and started to pace. As much as he was worried about his friend, he knew that Wilbur was a smart man. He could lie or fight his way out of any situation, or if the need arises, use one of the enderpearls that Dream had snatched from a merchant.

He was fine! Totally! 

Skeppy seemed to have sensed the now-masked man's distress because his expression softened. "Look, dude, I'm sure he'll return by tomorrow with more bullshit stories!" 

Dream glanced over and a small smile appeared on his visible face. Yeah, they would all be fine.

~

"Look! It's Princess Minx!" Someone called as Dream pushed through the crowd. He had gotten what he needed-just some more food to last him through the early fall-and was making his way back when he passed a parade. "Another suitress for the Prince," another person sighed.

His interest piqued, Dream peered over the shoulders of the people, looking for the said "Princess".

He saw her and was filled with disgust.

The parade was huge, with the Princess riding on a white horse. People were walking beside her, playing instruments, feeding her, and vying for her attention. She was covered in a clingy pink dress decorated with light blue stones, and had _way_ too much makeup on, making her look tacky, and nothing like the "dignified" Princess she was supposed to be. On her head, she bore a gold tiara with purple gems everywhere, and her eyes were cold and hard as she surveyed the people around her.

All of a sudden, the two children from the dumpster come running out from the alley. The boy runs out in front of the Princess's horse, startling it.

_'Oh no. Dammit.'_

The Princess looked down in disgust, sneering at the little boy. "Out of my way, fucking cunt!" She said, bringing down her whip to attack the little boy, and before Dream knew what he was doing, he had jumped from his spot and took the hit. It left a red stinging mark on his bare arms, but he didn't let that stop him.

"Hey, if I were as rich as you, I could afford some fucking manners," Dream said, shooting a cocky grin at the Princess.

_'What the_ hell _am I doing?'_

She seemed surprised, angry even, that someone would talk to her, while she was looking _so important,_ but quickly regained her posture. Sneering at the masked man, she replied, "Allah-damned bitch, don't fucking _think_ about talking to me,"

With that, she turned her horse around and kicked Dream into some mud, dirtying his body and green vest. The crowd was _clearly_ enjoying this, laughing at Dream and wondering what the princess will do next.

_'Asshole! I like this vest!'_

She paused before the gates of the palace, then turned around and smiled down at Dream, looking like she had the world handed to her on a silver platter. "You are a worthless whore. You were born a bastard, you'll die a bastard, and only your fleas will mourn you," the Princess said, leaving the mud-caked Dream to flip her off once she was inside the palace gates.

"Self-absorbed bitch," Dream said, pushing himself up. He looked down at his once-forest-green pants and the neon green vest, both now covered with mud. "This is fucking BULLSHIT!" 

~

Inside the Sultan chambers, there was a problem. 

Slamming the door open, a dirty, wet, and homeless-looking girl storms in, her makeup running down her face, and the bottom of her dress was missing, seemingly torn off.

She spotted the Sultan, screeching, "I've never been so fucking insulted!"

The Sultan calmly looked up from the papers he was reading to see the disheveled Princess in front of him. "Oh, Princess Minx! You're not leaving so soon, are you?" he asked in a calming, soothing matter.

The Princess looked disbelieving and angry. "Good luck marrying that _fucker_ off!" She spat, turning away to storm out.

Watching her go, the Sultan sighed. Getting up, he walked outside, shouting for his son. "Oh, George! George! _George!_ " 

Walking into the gardens, he spots a young boy dressed in princely attire sitting by the fountain, petting a black tiger. Smiling, he makes his way to him, but the tiger opens a red eye and snarls at him. He tries to walk closer, but the tiger gets up to block him off, his shiny white teeth bared as he growled at the Sultan.

The Sultan's eyes widen as he spots a piece of pink material in the tiger's mouth. Ignoring the tigers' warnings, he walks forward and rips the cloth out of the tiger's moth.

"Confound it, Badboyhalo! So, this is why Princess Minx stormed out!" He accused, turning his glare onto the boy.

The boy opened his eyes, giving the Sultan a smile. "Oh, father. Bad was just playing with her, weren't you Bad?" Bad came over to where the Prince was, allowing him to stroke the shiny black and grey fur. "You were just playing with that overdressed, bitchy, self-absorbed Princess Minx, weren't you?" He hugged Bad, enjoying the warmth the tiger brought to him before looking back to his father's disapproving gaze. "Ahem."

The Sultan sighed, the lines of his face deepening. "Dearest, George, you've got to stop rejecting every suitress that comes to call. The law says you-" 

George sighed, and finished the sentence. "Must be married to a princess."

They walk over to a dove cage, continuing the conversation.

The Sultan sighed. "By your next birthday.

"The law is wrong! It's full of shitty decisions!"

"You've only got three more days!"

George glared at his father. "I hate being forced into this!" He opened the cage, taking the dove out to pet it. It was white, symbolizing love, peace, and purity. "If I _do_ marry, I want it to be for love." He glanced at the Sultan. "You do know I'm gay?"

The Sultan flinched. "George, it's not only this law." George handed him the dove, and he promptly put it back in the cage. "I'm not going to be around forever, and I just want to make sure you have a loving wife who can help you when you take over the kingdom."

This time, George flinched. "Try to understand, father. I've never done a _single fucking thing_ \- sorry Bad - on my own." They walked back to the fountain, Bad leading the way. "I've never had any real friends." Bad looked up at him, red eyes glaring. "Except you, Bad." 

The tiger let out a contented hum, lying back down.

"And I've never even been outside the gods-damned palace walls!" George was nearly shouting at this point, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed. 

The Sultan was nearly done with his attitude. "But George, you're a _Prince,_ " he tried to reason.

"Then maybe I don't _want_ to be a prince!" George glared and splashed the water of the fountain, soaking the Sultan's left sleeve.

The Sultan's eyes flashed, and his serene expression quickly morphed into one of anger. "Oooohhh! Allah _forbid_ you should have any sons!" With that, he briskly walked back to the palace, leaving George and Bad alone at the fountain.

George sighed. "I don't know what to do, Bad,"

The black tiger let out a growl and looked up.

"Just- I don't know!" George walked over to the dove cage and stared at the birds. "I think I'm like them." At that, Bad looked up and watched as George unlocked the cage once again. "I'm trapped, forced to stay in the same place until someone lets me out." He gently grabbed the white dove and held it up to the sky. "But the question is," George watched the bird spread its wings and take off, flying towards the bright blue sky.

"Who will free me?"

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, 
> 
> I'm dead! I had to re-boot my laptop so half of the work was deleted!!
> 
> It sucks, but I know where I'm going with this soooo...
> 
> Also! My process for getting the work up is-for some reason-really long, so thats why this chapter was a few days late. I was trying to figure out how to work this lmao
> 
> Again! Thank you SO much for your comments, it made my night.
> 
> Enjoy your day/night  
> <3,  
> Katsu


	3. Did You Lose What Won't Return? Did You Love But Never Learn?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo ITS UP!! ohhh im so tireddd....
> 
> can you tell it was rushed? I can...  
> anyways, I need sleep
> 
> (Title from Flares, by The Script)
> 
> stay hydrated friends  
> enjoy your day/night  
> <3  
> katsu

It was a clear night. The stars were out, the moon was nearly full, and a soft breeze ruffled the edges of a cloak. Said cloak hid a figure from view as they walked toward the imposing walls of the palace. They stopped when they heard a low growl, almost like a plea. The person pulled off their hood and turned to face the tiger that blended in with the night, regret on his face.

“Bad... I can't stay here and have my life lived for me,”

The tiger stepped forward.

“I’m sorry, and you know I'll miss you,” George whispered, kneeling down to pet the tiger. When George pulled away, Bad seemed to nod, then helped the runaway Prince climb the wall.

George looked down, down at the gardens, down at the palace grounds, down at the tiger that was walking away, down at the land that he had called home.

He didn't look back.

~

Unaware of the cloaked figure making his way down the street, Dream was hungry.

It wasn't a starving type of hunger, no, he just wanted a snack.

And he was bored.

Those never mixed well.

"Okay, Tommy," Dream paused, hanging upside down. "Go!"

Out of sight but still close enough to snatch a melon, Dream waited for Tommy to jump onto the stand.

"Try this, your taste buds will dance and sing!" The peddler advertised, trying to draw attention from the crowd. He turned his back, presumably to get some new fruit, when Tommy jumps, now standing on some apples. 

Dream smiled. He just wanted some fun, and he planned on splitting the fruit with Techno. 

If he could find the pig.

"Hey!" The peddler spotted Tommy. "Get your paws off that, maggot!" Tommy smiled, showing off his small fangs. The vendor just growled, reaching out to snatch the fruit the monkey had snatched. "Get away from here, you filthy ass baboon!"

Tommy let the fruit vendor take back his goods, but not before Dream swung down, out of his view to grab a few fruits.

Tommy flashed his fangs one last time before swinging away to meet Dream on a rooftop.

Dream smiled and handed a pear to his partner. "Nice goin' Innit. Lunch is served."

~

Down on the street, unaware of how his life would change in just a few heartbeats, George was dying.

Not because of a wound from his escape, it was because of the _heat_.

And the fact that people kept harassing him.

"Pretty boy, buy a pot. No finer pot in brass or silver!" A shopkeeper called, waving a painted pot in his face. George ignored him and walked on, tugging at the hood that cast his features in shadow.

"Sugar dates! Sugar dates and figs! Sugar dates and pistachios!" Someone else called. George's only thought as he passed by the eccentric tradesman was _'Allah, this person really likes sugar dates.'_

"Oi! Would the man like a bracelet? A strong bracelet for a strong man!" Another merchant said, flashing a charming smile at him. George shyly returned it, walking over to her stand, when a fish was thrust into his face. He let an expression of disgust take over as he backed away. The hand that was holding the fish was connected to a tan, old man with a few missing teeth.

"Fresh fish! We catch 'em, you buy 'em!" He said, giving the poor Prince a wide grin.

"I don't think so," George said as he backed away. The streets are crowded, he thought as he backed into someone. He quickly turned around, an apology at his lips when he saw a "fire-eater" swallow his fire. "Oh, shit, excuse me."

George watched, eyebrows furrowed as the fire-eater gulped, then burped, small flames coming out his mouth.

Disgusted, George pulled his hood even farther over his face as he continued on his search for a place to stay.

~

Dream was up on a rooftop, a man in a pig skull next to him. He boasted long, bright pink hair that was tied in a braid, along with a deep red cape with white and gold trim. 

Unlike the other "street rats" and thieves in Agrabah who kept to the shadows and tried not to draw attention to themselves, this man drew every eye, and even the blind could see the "don't fuck with me" aura radiating off of him.

This man, they called him Technoblade. His name became a curse to the royals; a blessing to his allies; and it struck fear into every soul who dared whisper it into the wind.

Except for Dream.

The man in green pointed down at the dark figure hurrying through the market. "Say, Techno! Who do you think they are?" He asked, shooting a grin at the pigman beside him.

Techno looked down, red eyes glaring at the figure through the holes of his boar skull. A grin cracked over his face. "Let's hope they aren't an orphan."

Dream wheezed, having to clutch his side. Techno looked over, unbothered as the tea kettle nearly fell off the roof they were sitting on. He looked around, noting every small crack and crevice when a small, yet very _loud and annoying_ detail stuck out at him. 

Techno glanced around, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, then asked, "Hey, where's Tommy?"

"He's down there, no worries. Anyways, Ima go see why that person," Dream pointed at the cloak, the hood having slipped off to reveal a head of brown hair, "is stealing from that apple vendor."

With that, he jumped down, not-so-gracefully landing on a plank. 

Techno rolled his eyes and started to get up, his cape fluttering behind him. He considered his options: go down and see the drama or farm potatoes.

The Blade smiled. He knew Dream, and he knew that he would find some way to fuck it up. Squid Kid could wait.

With his mind made up, Techno jumped down, using the same path Dream did, although with a lot more agility.

He smiled, hefting his diamond axe.

Time to go see Dream and the run-away Prince flirt their way out of this one.

~

George was scared. The kid looked hungry, so he tried to give him some fruit, and now some bald, scary, fat dude was holding his wrist about to cut it off!

"No one steals from my cart," he growled, inching his sword closer until George could feel the cold metal about to bite into his skin.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't have any money," George said, struggling to get him to release his hold. 

_'It's only my third day out, and I'm about to lose a hand. Nice job, George.'_

"Thief!" The man pushed his face into George's, making him shrink back.

He really didn't want to go back already, but it was either get money from the palace or lose a hand. "Please, if you let me go to the palace, I can get money from the Sultan!" 

To George's surprise, he just laughed in his face. "The Sultan? You think that fat bastard cares about _us?"_

_'Fat bastard? Bitch-'_

Before he could finish his thought, he saw the shopkeep raise his blade, a sick look in his eyes when a tan hand reached out to grab it from him. The man released his hold on his limb, allowing George to yank it back.

Now that he was free, he looked over to the body the hand was connected to.

_'Holy shit.'_

The man was tall and lean, with his chest exposed to the unforgiving heat, but it didn't seem to bother him. He had light muscles dotted with freckles that ran up and down his arms, and short, dirty blonde hair that fell over a-

Childish, white mask with a poorly drawn smiley face on it? George shook his head, think the heat was messing with his sight, but the thing was still there. 

He was brought back to the present by the strange man saying that he was his _brother?_

"Sir! I'm so glad you found him!" The masked stranger said. The fruit-guy-with-a-sword just glared. "You know this boy?" George would have been offended-he was 24!-but-

It was then he realized that the guy now had a hand on his waist, pulling George closer to him.

It was then George realized the guy smelled like smoke. Not the bad kind of smoke you smell when someone is smoking; he smelled like the pinewood the palace had burned when it was shipped. Good smoke.

It was then George realized that he didn't want to shy away from this _stranger's_ touch. 

What was wrong with him?

_'Focus on the task! Get away from Angry fruit man.'_

George leaned into the man's embrace, whispering, "What are you doing?" The man tilted his head down. "Just play along, and we can get out."

Angry fruit guy glared at their whispering and repeated his question. "Do you know this boy?

The masked man nodded, his mouth tightening. "Sadly, yes. He is my younger brother! He's a little crazy," The man leaned in closer, a smirk on his face like he and Angry fruit man shared a secret. He circled his finger around his ear, nodding at George.

Angry fruit guy looked like he was going to believe the masked man, but he grabs his vest and shoved his face into the mask, staring into the small black dots. "He said he knows the Sultan!"

Even though the stranger had a mask on, you could practically _see_ the dry look he gave Angry fruit guy. "He thinks the pig is the Sultan." Masked man tilted his head towards where a pink-haired male sat on top of some boxes, wearing a pig skull that covered most of his face and holding an axe.

George blinked, unsure of what to make of this new man. He glanced over at Angry fruit man- he really needed a new name for him- to see that the man had paled. "T-the Blade! Yes, yes, of course, I understand!" He hurriedly backed up as the pig-man started to walk towards them. "T-technoblade, how may I help you?" 

_'His name is Technoblade? What kind of stupid name is that?'_

Technoblade leaned on the stand, pushing past the masked man. A smirk appeared, much likethe masked mans'. "Well..." he drawled, a deep monotone voice coming out. He acted as if he had all the time in the world, pausing to look down at his weapon, then sharing a look with the masked man. He turned to George, and he was able to see red eyes that fixed on him through the holes of his skull. "I believe that you think I'm the Sultan?"

It was a blunt prompt, but brought George back to the present nonetheless.

_'Right, I'm playing the part of a mad brother who thinks some cosplaying pig is my fath-the Sultan. I can do this, yeah, no problem!'_

George breathed out, in, out, then knelt down. In. "Oh, wise Sultan. How may I serve you?" George exaggerated. When he snuck a glance upward, he saw a flicker of surprise flash through the masked man and Technoblade's expressions. A small surge of pride flashed through George, that he was playing the part so well.

Technobalade nodded graciously, quickly slipping into his role. "You may rise, no need for that here," he looked around. "Anyways, I gotta run. My potatoes await, and Squid Kid _cannot_ win the Great Potato War."

He gave a small bow to the masked man, winked at George, then in a woosh of red fabric, he was gone, a whisper of _"Subscribe to Technoblade"_ on the wind.

_'What the- what the_ fuck _?'_

~

Dream had no idea what he was doing, but he _loved_ it. Techno had disappeared, but he still had to deal with Blando.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Dream asked, leaning forward. Tommy had snuck under the flaps of fabric that decorated the tent, and the thief in him was practically yelling at him to nudge a stray apple towards the monkey. "But, no harm done." He felt the weight of the apple disappear, meaning Tommy had grabbed it. "Now come along, it's time to see the doctor." he gently tugged the cloaked boy to the left, hiding Tommy's escape from the folds.

And Dream had to hand it to the boy. He was good at improv. The boy looked at a nearby camel, trying to escape Dream's hold on his waist.

_'Was he uncomfortable?'_

"Oh, hello doctor," the boy's voice carried an accent, although Dream had no idea where it was from. "How are you?"

Dream smiled. The boy wasted time with full words, each one pronounced and clear, while the "teachers" he had grown up with had said, "It will save you time if you combine words, no need for the posh stuff". 

Odd how that memory came up at that moment. 

"No, no, no. Not that one," Dream said. He looked to where Tommy was sitting, just a few feet away, his red and white pouches bulging. "Come on, Tommy."

~

George could have sworn that a monkey wasn't right in front of him a second ago. But there the thing was. He watched as the monkey gave a small bow-much like Technoblades'- and suddenly many different trinkets, food items, and even a lighter, came tumbling out of his pockets.

He glanced over at the stranger _-'What is his name?'-_ who looked ready to either run or fight when Angry fruit guy broke the tense silence. 

"What?!" He glared at the monkey- _'Did either of them have a name?'_ -and leaned forward to pick up a stray apple. "Why! You little THIEVES!" He shouted and started to- scratch that, he _tried_ to run, but got caught in the tent's fabric. 

A for effort.

The sight of him struggling to get around his stand would have been amusing if the stranger hadn't grabbed George by his arm and whispered, "Run," while dragging him along. 

He didn't really have a choice, did he?

~

George and the masked man were climbing up a building, the thrill of the chase still coursing through their veins.

"Almost there," the man grunted. In a second, he disappeared over the edge before popping back up to offer George a hand. Smiling a small smile, he took it.

The man hauled George up like he was nothing, causing him to lose his balance and stumble right into the mans' chest.

_'Nononono, ABORT!'_

"Oh, um-" George started, pushing off slightly to put more space between his clothed body and the mans' half-naked one. He brushed himself off and looked up into the mask. "I want to thank you for stopping that man."

The man seemed suddenly bashful, rubbing his neck and looking down. "Uh, forget it," George watched, studying him as he grabbed a pole. "So, this is your first time in the marketplace, huh?"

He vaulted over to the next building, leaving George to watch him lay down a plank for him.

"Is it that obvious?" George looked around.

"Well, you do kinda stand out." The man tilted his head slightly behind him to allow his monkey to hop down, chittering. "I mean, uh, you don't seem to know how dangerous Agrabah can be." When he looked up, he saw George mimicking his motions, grabbing another pole and vaulting over to stand next to him. How he did it, he had no idea. Just grab the pole, push off, in the air, land.

George tossed the pole to where the man stood, his mouth slightly open. "I'm a fast learner," he smiled.

The man seemed to shake out of whatever trance he was in. He beckoned to George to follow. "Right. C'mon, this way." They go inside a dusty part, only lit by the sunbeams coming in through the cracks. The man ducked and weaved, this being second nature to him while George hit his head on many of the beams and planks. The man looked back a few times, a smile gracing his visible face. "Whoa, watch your head there."

George glared, and they soon came to an opening, most of the room covered by a tattered piss-yellow curtain.

_'This is how this man lives? With that ugly color?'_

Putting a voice to his thoughts, George asked, "Is this where you live?"

The man smiled even more, clearly proud of it. "Yep, just me and Tommy. Come and go as we please."

George looked around, noting everything. Finally, he let a genuine smile show, "Fabulous."

"Well, it's not much," the man reached over to grab a rope. "but it's got a great view." He said as he pulled, exposing the city with the palace looming over it. “The palace looks pretty amazing, huh?”

“It's wonderful,” George replied.

“I wonder what it would be like to live there, to have servants and valets…”

“Oh, sure. People who tell you where to go and how to dress.”

The masked man snorted. “It's better than here. Always scraping for food and ducking the guards.”

“You're not free to make your own choices.”

”Sometimes you feel so-” the man started.

“You're just-” George sighed.

“-trapped.” They said.

~


	4. Had to Lose My Way to Know Which Road to Take

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW:  
> DEATH  
> BLOOD  
> VIOLENCE
> 
> (Title from Roots, by Imagine Dragons)  
> Thanks, @Pip_Bird , for being my beta reader!

Dream has been through a lot of pain, physical and emotional. After all, his father died when he was 3 and his mother neglected him until she fell ill, leaving him out on the streets when he was just 5. After that, he had to learn how to fight, lie his way out, steal without getting caught, and how to use a weapon. 

So, after going through all that, you would think Dream would have a hardened shell around his heart, learning to not let anyone get close. Well, you would be wrong. He had adopted Tommy when he was 14, thinking the small, hot-tempered 10-year-old wouldn’t be that much of a handful. He was wrong there but kept him and they became brothers. Then Techno appeared when he was 16, and they became fast friends, the older male teaching him new tricks, and both of them rising to the top as companions and rivals.

And now, the Prince came into his life and just as quickly going out of it.

Here’s how it went down.

~

Dream glanced at the boy next to him. They were sitting on the window, enjoying the view of the palace and a cool breeze that ruffled their hair. Now that they were out of the market, he could get a good look at the cloaked stranger he had invited into his home.

The boy was wearing a dark brown cloak, presumably to make him look more in place with the people in the market. It would have worked, if not for the 24k gold trim in delicate designs that decorated the ivory pants that showed with every step. He was clearly from a wealthy family, maybe a noble or someone close to the royals.

_'Or even a royal.'_

Dream cleared his throat, causing the boy to look over at him. "So, where're you from?" 

The boy's face twisted, many different emotions crossing his face too quickly for him to identify any. "What does it matter? I ran away, and I am _not_ going back," he spat.

Dream raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He picked up the apples he had stolen and passed one to the boy and Tommy. 

In response, Tommy glared and scampered away, chittering swears at the new boy and Dream.

Dream rolled his eyes and leaned back against the side of the window. The boy was staring at him, a faraway look in his eyes. "My father's forcing me to get married," he whispered, a confession to the starry sky above them. He looked back at the masked thief, whose mouth was pressed in a tight line. "That's-that's awful," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

They were so caught in the enchanting moment, neither of the boys noticed the monkey coming up behind the Prince. 

They were leaning closer, both pulled by an unseen force, when Tommy pushed his head in, white and red fur invading everyone's space. "Holy shit, Tommy!" Dream blinked.

Tommy gave him a disappointed look, bright blue human eyes out of place against the primate body. "Fuck,"

Dream looked into those eyes. He knew he _swore_ to not harm the teenager-turned-monkey, but sometimes, he _really_ wanted to throttle him.

The boy beside him blinked. "What?" Dream glared at his brother before turning back to him. "Oh, um, Tommy says that's not fair," 

As the words left his lips, Tommy turned the full force of his glare on the masked man. "What?!" He screeched.

The boy's expression quickly changed to one of amusement. "Oh did he?"

Dream gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, of course," The boy's expression never changed when he looked at the monkey. "And does Tommy have anything else to say?"

Before Dream could make something up, the idiot in question hopped into the space between the boy and his brother.

"Fucker! Dick! Bitch boy, don't-" Tommy continued to swear at the shocked boy in front of him, ignoring Dream's frantic attempts to shut him up.

After realizing he had no other choice, Dream grabbed the monkey, gave a tired smile to the shocked stranger with a whispered apology, and ducked out of the small room.

Tommy stared up at him, unapologetic as ever.

Dream flipped up his mask, bright green eyes glaring, no longer hidden by the white mask. "Tomathy fucking Innit!" He hissed. "Dude! We have an Allah-damned guest, and you're-" 

He sighed, flipping his mask down and ran a hand through his hair. "Never mind. Just-just stay here."

~

The stars were beautiful. Just him, the boy, and the millions of small, white pinpricks of light that decorated the sky.

Dream sighed. No matter how pretty the constellations were, no matter how nice the boy looked in the starlight, his mind worried for his brother.

_'Tommy...'_

After their small argument, he had run off, giving Dream the finger before leaping out the window. He had done it many times before, leaving after an argument, but this time seemed different, more meaningful, as if he was saying goodbye.

~

 _He was 12 years old. Dream struggled against the grip of the guard. It was stupid._ He _was stupid. He got caught! It was one apple, but he knew that the guards were merciless. If they caught you, it was over._

_He didn’t have any help; Drista was away, probably with Nihachu in the palace again, stealing and Sam was on the other side of the market._

_He was alone._

_That’s when Dream started to panic. But it was fine! Two of the guards had gone away, thinking that a 12-year-old child wasn’t that big of a deal. They were wrong, of course, but that wasn’t why he was panicking. No, he was panicking because the fruit he stole was for Tubbo to eat. Without it, his family would starve._

~

_He was 14 years old. Dream hopped from one building to another, wasting time. He had no place to be or had anything to do. He was just waiting for Drista to return from visiting Purpled._

_Dream hopped from a tan building to a red one, passing over an alleyway. "C-Clay?" A weak, female voice called out, breaking the silence. Landing on the red building, he froze._

_He knew that voice._

_That voice should_ never _sound that helpless._

_Drista._

_In a second, Dream was down there, kneeling by his younger sister's side. Her mask was split down the middle, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutches her side. It was then he took in the extent of her injuries; too many cuts on her arms; too many scratches on her neck; too much blood running through her fingers; too much too much too MUCH-_

~

_He was 14 years old. His sister died in his arms, killed by a guard's hand, her last words, "I am- will always be the alpha male,"_

~

_He was 14 years old. He found his brother, a new sibling, a new friend in the twisted game of life. A companion. But never a replacement._

~

_He was 15 years old. A guard was at the tip of his sword, his face a mask of terror. Dream flipped up his white covering, revealing almost glowing green eyes and a maniacal smile. "This is for Drista, you Allah-damned bitch," he said, eerily calm as he plunged the sword in the guard's neck._

_He walked away from the body, carefully stepping over the other fallen guards._

_He was glad that Tommy and Tubbo hadn't seen him. Dream flipped his mask down, the smile having never left his face. He enjoyed playing the part of the older brother, not the psychotic teenager who_ finally _avenged his sisters' murder._

~

_He was 16 years old. Dream was happy. He had Tommy chatting happily by his side, Tubbo as "Big Crime", picking pockets and just living as a being of chaos._

_Dream loved it. It was his home._

_But no good things ever lasted for long. Especially not for Dream._

_He looked away for one second, then Tubbo was gone._

_It took him 3 hours to find the boy, but when he did, he found him with too many broken bones; too many cuts; too much blood, and a cut, so SO much like Drista's, he feared for the worst._

_He was frozen but jumped when he saw a man in a pig skull leaning over him, chanting._

_Dream jumped, then started forward, Tommy at his heels. He was stopped by a blonde man in a green and white striped bucket hat, who put a finger to his lips and shook his head._

_Dream looked away, then he heard Tubbos' voice, so weak, just like-_

_~_

_He was 16 years old. Dream met Technoblade, Philza, and Wilbur. Three new friends. Three new weaknesses._

_Three new ways to hurt him._

_~_

_He was 17 years old. Knives flew at him from the left, spikes shot out from the right, only a thin beam for him to walk on._

_It was going great so far._

_Mr.Beast, as Dream liked to call him, watched from the sidelines, only moving to catch up to the teenager._

_Dream ducked a knife and jumped a spike, his foot slipping on the mossy beam. He panicked, crying out, his arms pinwheeling as he tried to catch his balance._

_In a second, he was no longer in the never-ending hallway, instead, he was in a room with cameras, green screens, and illusionists. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, Dream whipped his head around to meet Mr.Beast's hard gaze. "This is the 5th time you've failed, Dream," he said coldly._

_Mr.Beast was Dream's mentor; he has taught him more tricks, helped him get better at fighting, and introduced him to more people, more ways to live._

_He hated the training though._

_Dream glared at the older man. "I nearly fucking died!" he stepped closer. "Your gods-be-damned "training" isn't helping me at all!" Mr.Beast's eyes flashed. Dream ignored the warning signs of the magic-user getting pissed and pointed at the gash on his forearm. "Hell, I got cut! Again!" Dream was now in his face._

_Mr.Beast whipped out his hand and blasted Dream back. Eyes now burning an electric blue, he walked towards his apprentice. "I don't have to help you," he started, expression cold, his voice like ice. "You wouldn't be hurt if you moved faster; you wouldn't have "almost died" if you had kept your balance; you can be_ anywhere _but here if you would just_ try _."_

_Mr.Beast was standing over him now, hands pulsing blue as he stared down at the masked boy._

_"This is why you lost against Technoblade."_

_~_

_He was 19 years old. It was dark outside, the stars and half-moon the only lights in the town of Agrabah. An unmasked thief sat on the roof of a house, legs dangling off the edge. His normal, confident smile was gone, his shoulders were slumped, and his bright green eyes were now shining with tears._

_His face looked to the heavens, looking for answers, mouth open in a silent plea for help. It felt like his life was being ripped away from him: Tubbo had to be rushed to the doctor after he took ill, Technoblade had gotten banned from a weekly tournament, ending his steady income, Wilbur had been caught in the palace, now he was a prisoner, Purpled was gone, and Tommy had been cursed, leaving them both scared and vulnerable._

_Dream was spiraling, trying to find a solution to the never-ending problems, the thoughts that tempted him, to just leave, to run away. He knew it was bad, but there was a reason he wore a mask. He was the person his friends came to when they needed to vent, but there never seemed to be a good time to bring up how_ he _was dealing with his inner turmoil._

'This is bad, this is bad, no no, STOP' 

_His thoughts went in circles, never beginning, never stopping. He looked down, down at the smiling white mask that his little sister used to wear, down at the mocking smile and blank black eyes. He watched, feeling empty as his tears dripped, down, down, down onto the mask._

_As if on cue, thunder rumbled, then the rain started to fall on the defeated thief._

_He knew there was nothing he could do about the rain, but it seemed like Allah was mocking him, watching high above, laughing as Dream cried._

_~_

He was 21 years old. Dream smiled at the boy next to him. He was talking about the stars, his eyes lighting up as he named many different constellations.

Dream tilted his head, examining the boy in front of him. The way his eyes light up when he's excited, the way the slight wind ruffled his brown hair, the way he acted in general. 

When he stopped to catch a breath, Dream asked, "So, who are you?" The boy looked surprised at such a direct question, the light mood vanishing. He fiddled with the edge of his cloak, looking down. "I'm... no one important," he answered. "Who are you?" He looked up, staring into the small eyes of the mask.

Dream smirked, leaning forward. "I am just a humble trash bin trying to roll my way through life,"

The boy rolled his eyes, scoffing. "You're such an idiot." Dream let out a wheeze, doubling over, and soon the boy was laughing along with him.

Bad luck.

More like bad timing.

Footsteps could be heard stomping up the stairs, 3 pairs of heavy boots. Dream immediately stopped laughing, alert and ready. The boy looked at him weirdly, then his eyes widened. He heard it too.

Three guards burst into the room, two holding longswords, the third equipped with a broadsword. They immediately spotted the boys at the window and advanced sinisterly. 

The first guard looked at Dream, growling. "Here you are!"

"They've found me!" Dream exclaimed, shooting an apologetic look to the boy next to him, only to see that he had frozen, whispering, "They've found me," over and over. When Dream spoke, he seemed to jolt back and sent an incredulous look to the masked friend. "They're after you?" They said at the same time.

_'If it was a different situation,'_ Dream thought ruefully, _'it would have been comedy gold.'_

The boy went back to muttering. "My father must have sent them-" Although that one sentence set off _so many_ of Dream's "this biTCH IS TROUBLE" alarms, he hopped to the edge of the window and held out a hand to the boy, keeping an eye on the slowly approaching guards. "Do you trust me?"

The boy stared at him, his eyes going wider. "What?"

Dream repeated his question, a hint of urgency creeping into his voice.

"Do you trust me?"

The boy seemed to think for a split second, then took his hand. "Yes."

Dream pulled him off the edge, just as the guards reached them. "Then jump!"

They land in a pile of hay, sending the grass flying everywhere. Dream pulled his partner in crime up and they broke into a run. Rounding a corner, another guard appeared out of nowhere, blocking their exit. Dream quickly assessed him, taking in the bandage around his head, the ruby encrusted scimitar-

The guard from before, the one he had knocked out beside Tubbo's house was back. And he was _pissed._

_'Oh dear fuck.'_

"We just keep running into each other, don't we, street rat?" He spat, inching closer.

Dream pushed the boy behind him, pulling out his own claymore sword. Lunging to get the first hit, the guard trips over Dream's foot, landing headfirst into more hay.

He heard the boy stifle a laugh and pulled him another way.

_'Allah be fucking_ damned _'_

More guards, as if summoned, appeared. Dream glanced at them, counting, looking for ways to escape, scanning for weaknesses-

Just like the first guard, one of them lunges but wasn't fooled by the feint and foot thrown his way. His buddies came around and attacked Dream from behind, one of them cutting his shoulder before he could turn around and stab him. 

Dream cried out when another stabbed his leg, bringing him to his knees. He heard the boy gasp as the guards grabbed Dream by his hands, tieing them with worn rope and forcing him to stand. "It's the dungeon for you, bitch," he hissed.

Dream struggled, shouting, making a scene, hoping, no _praying_ that one of his friends would swoop down and save him. 

Apparently, his prayers were answered, though not in the way he expected.

The boy stepped forward, trembling, but holding his head high. "Let go of him," he tried to command. His voice shook, but he caught the attention of the guards.

The one who first attacked Dream laughed and sneered at him. "Look what we have here. Our favorite little street rat has made a friend!" This caused the guards to laugh, one of them pushing the boy down.

In that moment, something seemed to snap in the boy; he got up, brushed himself off, then threw off his hood. His eyes were sharp, cold, calculating, hiding his emotions and thoughts. "Unhand him, by order of the Prince," the boy said.

Time seemed to stop for Dream. He forgot about the blade in his leg, forgot about the bruises and cuts in favor of staring at the Prince. He mentally slapped himself for not realizing it sooner, but something seemed off about him now. 

His entire personality changed, and he seemed to fill the air with his presence, nothing like the small, sheltered boy Dream had seen from a rooftop.

But that wasn't it. The something that seemed off was in Dream. So many thoughts fought for room in his head, but only two made themselves blindly clear: _Betrayed. Liar._

He thought he found someone to trust, despite knowing him for less than a day; instead, he was forced to see the truth: he was just being played with. After all, they came from _very_ different social circles.

The guards immediately stopped and bowed, one of them forcing Dream to bow as well.

One of them spoke. "Prince George! What are you doing outside the palace? And with this vermin?" He kicked Dream in the side as if to punctuate his words.

The Prince's voice was like ice in the heat. "That is none of your concern. Do as I command. Release him."

The guards seemed bashful. "Well, I would, Prince, but our orders come from Jschlatt. You'll have to take it up with him," one of them said.

~

The Prince looked at the masked boy in front of him. His head was bowed, his body bruised and bloodied; nothing like the proud, joking boy that was chatting with him earlier. 

Desperately, he tried to get him to meet his eyes but he wouldn't look up.

Something seemed to break inside of George as he watched the only person who had shown him hospitality be dragged away, shamed and defeated.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooookayy.... that was fun to write! PLEASE leave a comment on what you think! I have no experience writing angst; I would love an outside opinion!!
> 
> Have a good day/night!  
> <3, Katsu


	5. Be Careful Making Wishes In The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHHH PEOPLE I AM SO SORRY THAT IT TIS A SMOL BIT LATE-
> 
> It was rushed (again), so I may rewrite it. :'D
> 
> What do y'all think?
> 
> (This is my re-write, some edits, tho mostly just smoothing it out :D)
> 
>   
> Also! Thanks so much for your kudos and comments! They mean so much to me!!
> 
> (Title from My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'em up) by Fall Out Boy)
> 
> Enjoy your day/night!  
> <3  
> Katsu!

Jschlatt pressed a button, ignoring Quackity's whining behind him. " _¡Mi hombre! ¡Mi amigo! Jschlatt, sé que quieres esto, pero tendrás que parar pronto,_ " He grumbled as they walked out of the hidden door. "Man, I'm a businessman! I'm a master negotiator! But I don't think even _you_ could find another willing-" 

They stopped in the hallway. Schlatt sighed, raising a hand to cut his rambling off. "Quackity, _friend,_ do you think my quest to find the Cave of Wonders is madness?" he asked, his rectangular pupils narrowed.

Quackity backed up, his back hitting the now-solid wall, hands raised in a defensive position. "Schlatt, baby, no!" He tugged at his beanie, pulling it farther down his head. "I-"

He was cut off by a _very_ pissed off Prince storming down it. He looked around then spotted the sorcerer and his companion. 

" _Jschlatt,_ " George hissed, walking up to Schlatt with a finger pointed accusingly at him.

Schlatt blinked. "Oh, Prince," he smiled. "How may I be of service to you?"

George stepped closer, invading his personal space. "The guards just took a boy from the market, on your orders," he growled.

Schlatt sighed and pushed the finger away from his face. 

_'What is up with people questioning my orders today?’_ He thought grumpily. 

Putting on a fake smile, knowing it would only infuriate the Prince even more, he said, "Your father's charged me with keeping peace in Agrabah. The boy was a criminal."

"What was the crime?"

Quackity stepped out from behind Schlatt. "Oh, Prince George! Look, man, I gotta ask, where were you for the last two days?"

George just glared.

Schlatt stepped in. "The crime was kidnapping the Prince, of course!"

Quackity stepped around him again. "Bro, you sure that he kid-" Schlatt smiled and kicked him in the kneecaps. " _¡Oh mierdra!_ "

George, ignoring the pain poor Quackity was in shot back with, "He didn't kidnap me! I ran away!" 

Schlatt adopted an expression of surprise. "Oh, no! Oh, how frightfully upsetting. Had I but known," he shook his head and started to walk away.

"What do you mean?" George's voice cracked.

Uh-oh.

Schlatt stopped and turned around, mock sadness on his face. "Sadly, the boy's sentence has already been carried out."

George felt something break inside of him for the second time today. He knew the answer before he asked. "What sentence?"

Jschlatt smiled. Despite his flat teeth, it was still frightening.

"Death."

George gasped and stood there, shocked. Hearing it from his father's advisor was like having a bucket of ice-cold water dumped on you. He thought that there would be some way to just _undo_ it. As if it was just a bad dream he needed to wake up from. 

Schlatt walked away, throwing one last comment to the royal. "I am _exceedingly_ sorry, my Prince."

George rushed away, leaving Schlatt and Quackity alone. "Schlatt, I think that was a little too far, _mi hombre_ ," the latter said as he got up, wincing. Allah be _damned_ , the goat-man had a nastyback-kick.

Schlatt turned to his friend. “It wasn’t too far. We have what we need,” his expression sharpened. “Or are you about to back out, Quackity?”

Quackity sighed and looked at the older man. “Schlatt, you know I want this as bad as you, but you saw the state the boy was in. Give him a day to rest, feed and water him, and boom!” he threw his hands up in the air. “We have 'the worthy one',”

Schlatt seemed to think this over, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "Maybe you’re right,” he said as he started to walk to the dungeons. “Pretend to help him, then take the lamp,” 

Quackity nodded in agreement. “And boom!” 

They smiled at each other, the plan seemed perfect, nothing could go wrong.

Except for a fucking _pig._

~

Techno liked to think he was a patient guy. He has waited for a lot of things. 

But when someone says to be at the rooftop at midnight, he expects them _to be there._

Techno sighed, then walked to the edge. It was a clear night with a soft breeze. The moon was nearly full, shining down on the pig skull and pink hair.

"If you're done admiring the view," a voice called from behind him. "We have work that needs to be done."

Techno smiled. 

_'Ranboo.'_

~

Ranboo offered Techno a rod. It was about one-and-a-half feet long, with reds, oranges, and yellows dancing beneath the surface.

Techno smirked. It was a blaze rod, and they were _extremely_ hard to come by. "And all I have to do is break Wilbur out of the palace?" he asked while testing out the new weapon. He swung it a few times and a fire charge came out, nearly taking off Ranboo's head. 

The "Walmart Technoblade", as he called himself ducked and seemed to glare at the original. He nodded, then handed him a pair of mechanical grey wings.

Ranboo smiled. "It's gaming time."

~

Ranboo considered himself an assistant. He ran a small agency and regularly helped out the Blood God.

He usually worked behind the scenes, preferring to not go out on the field. He knows Techno knows that, so he was surprised when the man in question asked him to come along.

Of course he said yes, but when they started to scale the wall to the palace, right under a guard nose, Ranboo started to have second thoughts.

~

"Holy cow," Ranboo breathed as they reached the top. Techno looked over at the black-and-white man beside him.

_'He's like a mix of TapL and Eret,'_ He thought as he swiftly took out the guard.

And he was right.

Ranboo wore dark glasses to cover his red and green eyes, and his hair was split down the middle; one side white, one side black. The mask that covered his mouth and nose matched his hair and the white and black gloves he wore topped it off.

Techno knew the boy didn't like to be on the field, but he thought this would be a good experience for him.

After all, it was only one _small_ prison break.

~

Wilbur was bored. He sighed as he leaned against the wall. He wished he had his guitar with him. He knew Philza would have sent someone by now- hopefully not Techno. He already had too many reasons to laugh at him.

The prisoner looked at a wooden button nearby. He didn't know what it didn't but he was willing to find out. As he was reaching to press it, a quiet screech made him pause. Wilbur looked to the small, barred window. It was too high for him to reach and too small for him to squeeze through.

But not too small for a monkey to.

~

George sat by the fountain. It was the same fountain that he had made the decision to leave the palace. Oh, how stupid his dreams seemed now.

He let out a small sob, knowing that there was nothing he could do now.

The masked boy was dead.

 _'But you never saw the body,'_ his subconscious whispered to him. 

It was true, he had gone to the execution chamber and there wasn't a trace of new blood on the floor, plus none of the guards had remembered a commoner being beheaded recently.

 _'So maybe, he's alive,'_ whispered a small part of him that still had hope. But he also knew that Schlatt was twisted; when he was brought into the position as the Sultan's advisor, he had asked for a new chamber to be built, somewhere underground.

The builders _mysteriously_ disappeared after it was finished and no one knew where it was or what he used it for. Everyone that went in never came out.

Wallowing in his thoughts, George didn't notice the black tiger and man that came up to him until the over-sized cat rubbed against his legs.

George ran a hand along Bad's silky fur, a tear dripping down his face. The boy hesitated before sitting beside the crestfallen Prince. "George..." he started. 

"It's my fault, Karl. I literally didn't even know his name," George mumbled. 

Karl sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, man. Quackity never said anything about killing him." 

George wiped his eyes and looked up. "Karl, if-"

"If you were Sultan, you would change things for the better," Karl stood up.

George looked down. Bad turned and settled down, lying his head on his paws and looking up at the Prince. "You know, we would only ever be as happy as our least happy subject," he started but was interpreted by a flash of reddish-brown fur.

"Oh, a beautiful Princess wants to marry you-" Karl started before the flash of fur trampled his foot. "Ow! What the honk?" he yelled, hopping as he clutched his foot. "Dude!"

George leaned down and watched the monkey head for a window. He clambered up and slipped inside, and soon, he was gone.

"That window leads to the dungeon!" George exclaimed as he stood up, disrupting Bad's nap and Karl's quiet insults to the primate.

"Do what?" Karl's confused voice only added to the mess of thoughts in George's head.

_'Why would Tommy head to the dungeons if the boy was dead?_ _What if that wasn't Tommy, but another monkey?_ _Why the fuck would another monkey sneak into the palace, idiot?_ _What if someone else was down there, and that's who Tommy went to, not the boy?'_

And the loudest: _'What if the boy was alive?'_

~

Dream huffed as he watched rats scurry by. He was chained to the wall and they had taken every weapon he had from him. The only thing they left on was his mask, and that was only because of the stupid enchantment stuck on it.

It was about 5 hours since he had been taken in, and he was _still_ reeling from what had happened.

_'So first things first: I let myself be_ beaten _by palace guards. Then the guy I rescued from the streets was the Prince. After that, I was knocked out and taken here. And here we are,'_

Dream sighed, the sound echoing off the cold stone walls. 

He knew Wilbur was down here, which was a plus. 

_'But what about Tommy?'_

Dream knew that Tommy could take care of himself out in Agrabah. No, he was more worried about Tommy's attempt to break him out. Despite their many arguments, he always turned up when he was needed the most.

Now was one of those times.

As if on cue, the small, barred window in the ceiling was hit. The sound of metal on metal sung through the dungeon, and soon blue eyes clashed with the drawn-on black ones. 

"Tommy!" Dream whispered, and despite his best efforts, a smile appeared on his face. 

"And Wilbur," said boy's face popped into view, a wide smile on his face.

"And Wilbur," Dream repeated as Tommy climbed down. The cursed boy glared at the masked one before launching into an onslaught of insults and meaningless clamor.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry Tommy," Dream acknowledged as Tommy unlocked his chains. Wilbur slipped into the room, landing with an "oomph". Tommy stopped what he was doing to stare at him. 

"You fucking idiot," he stated. "You have got to be shitting me. You were supposed to pull us out, bitch."

Dream watched, amused, as Wilbur's eyes widened comically and he feigned disbelief. "Oh, no, Tommy," he cooed, reaching out to pat the monkey's head. "I fuckingforgot!" 

Tommy glared in response, moving back to free Dream. Wilbur leaned against the wall, his eyes roaming the prison, all trace of humor gone.

"So... you "rescued" the Prince, talked with him, got beaten by fucking guards, _learned_ he was the Prince, and now you're here," he summed up, his eyes landing on Dream. "Dammit, Dre,"

Dream wouldn't say he was scared of a lot of things, but Wilbur when he was pissed? He couldn't name a single person who wouldn't be scare of "Psychotic Wilbur", as Tommy had dubbed him.

"No! There was more!" Dream protested, but by the look on Wilbur's face and how Tommy spared him a dry glance, he knew his denial would fall on deaf ears.

Wilbur sighed and averted his eyes. "Dream..."

"Don't worry, Wilbur," Dream tried for a smile, "I'll never see him again. I'm a thief, remember? And you know the law; he's gotta marry a Princess."

Wilbur's gaze softened. He was always a sucker for hopeless love stories, and now Dream was caught in the middle of one.

Tommy's gaze only hardened. "You're a fucking fool, that's what you are, Big D," he commented.

"You're only a fool if you give up, boys," a voice from the back of the dungeon called out.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSLATIONS:
> 
> "¡Mi hombre! ¡Mi amigo! Jschlatt, sé que quieres esto, pero tendrás que parar pronto," = "My man! My friend! Jschlatt, I know you want this, but you'll have to stop soon,"
> 
> "¡Oh, mierda!" = "Oh shit!"
> 
> "mi hombre" = my man
> 
> (If I missed any, please tell me!)
> 
> As always,  
> Enjoy your day/night!  
> <3  
> Katsu!


	6. We're Standing Face To Face With The Hearts That Turned To Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D Most of the tests are done-
> 
> This one is pretty short- I still need to write lmao
> 
> (Title from Watch Your Back, by Sam Tinnesz)
> 
> Enjoy it!
> 
> <3  
> Katsu

"You're only a fool if you give up, boys," an old man stepped forward into the pale moonlight. He had a hunched back and was barely dressed in dirty rags. When he smiled at Dream, Wilbur noticed most of his teeth were missing.

He glared and stepped forward, his mouth open to tell the tramp to "fuck off" when Dream spoke.

"Who are you?" he asked as he stepped around Wilbur. Tommy walked forward, his small fangs bared. So even the monkey didn't like the stranger.

The old man clasped his hands behind his back. "A lowly prisoner, like yourself," Dream looked offended and something sparked in Wilbur, "But together, perhaps we can be more,"

Something seemed to shift in Dream. "I'm listening."

The spark of hope inside of Wilbur died at his words.

He didn't trust this man.

"There is a cave, boy. A cave of wonders. Filled with treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Treasure enough to impress even your Prince, I'd wager," the man stumbled to a wall and leaned against it.

"But the law says that only a Prince can marry-" Dream started. "You've heard of the golden rule, haven't you boy?" the man cut him off, waving a hand. "Whoever has the gold makes the rules," He smiled again and Dream recoiled.

Wilbur decided it was time for him to step in. "So why the shit would you share all of this fucking treasure with us?"

The man opened his mouth to respond when in a flurry of confused screaming and water, Technobalde appeared with someone in his arms. 

He looked around, eyes assessing everyone in a second. "Heh?" he said as he looked to Dream, a chain still dangling from his arm. "What-" he had to stop to laugh, "I'm here to break you out-" Techno doubled over, snickering.

The teenager in Techno's arms stepped away, muttering something only he could hear. "Me and Ranboo-" Techno tried to start but kept laughing as he took in the old man's surprised expression and Tommy's screeching laughs.

Wilbur looked at the shimmering weapon clutched in his friend's hand, the water dripping off of the newcomers, the traumatized teenager, and realized that instead of using enderpearls, he _used his fucking trident._

Wilbur nearly laughed at that. The poor, poor, new guy.

After cackling to himself for a few more seconds, The Blade looked over at Dream. "I'm here to rescue you, nerd," he said. "and I fricking Technoplaned in,"

Despite the mayhem that follows Techno like a dog, Wilbur couldn't help but smile as the half-chained prisoner laughed. "You're a little late, fucker," Wilbur snorted.

The old man cleared his throat, interrupting the moment between Techno and Wilbur. "Yes, yes, touching moment, that was. Now, the treasure?"

 _That_ sentence caught everyone's attention.

Dream spoke again. "Ah, one problem. It's out there, we're in here?" 

The old man smiled again. 

_'Damn that's unsettling as fuck,'_

"Yes, but things can be changed," he looked at Tommy, eyes gleaming with a predatory instinct. "Now, that's not a normal monkey, is it?" Dream flinched and tried to hide his brother behind his back, only proving the man's point.

Wilbur wanted to smack him for that.

"The Cave can fix that," now he turned to Ranboo and Techno, "and you?" 

Ranboo moved to speak, his mask moving as he opened his mouth but Techno beat him to it. "We're good, thanks," he replied, coldly. The old man wasn't dissuaded. He looked Techno up and down before saying, "You need money. Go to the Cave, get me the lamp, and the rest is yours," 

Techno's skull hid his face pretty well, but Wilbur could still see the familiar tightening of his mouth. That only happened when he was thinking something over, considering his options, choosing which one could benefit his situation best-

Wilbur's heart sank as his friend turned to Ranboo, whispering something. The teen nodded, once, decisively.

Now it was Wilbur's turn. The old man turned to him, expression completely different. Before, it was a gloating type of victory; it was an expression a scammer might have. Now, it was sad, full of regret and unfulfilled promises.

Heartbroken, like the man had just lost someone he loved.

"Son-" the man started. 

"Don't call me son," Wilbur responded.

"Your family is what matters to you most, is it not?"

Wilbur stilled, his face giving nothing away.

"You want to keep them safe," the man smiled and nodded sympathetically.

Wilbur's left eye twitched.

That was where he messed up.

That was when the old man knew he had succeeded in convincing the brown-haired boy.

Nonetheless, he kept pushing. "You don't want anything unfortunate to happen to them, now do you? The lamp, it can fulfill any wish. Get it to me, and I will make _all_ of your dreams come true," he turned to the others, a winning smile replacing the sad expression in an instant.

Wilbur grimaced. He looked around at the faces he knew so _so_ well, and saw that each of them was sold on this man's pipe dream.

Now his morals came into play. Would he let Dream and Tommy go off by themselves, or would he go with them and risk not coming back?

_'Then just don't let them go,'_ a voice whispered, ' _Keep them safe, kill anyone who fucking_ dares _to try to hurt them. You have the skills; you can protect your family.'_

Wilbur shook his head and tried to push the thought away. He was- _is_ a good man.

His mind was made up.

Holding onto that one, small thought like a lifeline, Wilbur turned to the old man. "There's a problem though," he ground out, "we're in here, and the bloody lamp is out there," he gestured to the used-to-be-barred window in the ceiling.

The old man smiled his hideous smile and walked to a different part of the wall. He pushed a brick and the wall slid away to reveal the starry night sky. "Mm, mm, mm," he tutted, "Things aren't always what they seem," he looked at Dream. "So, do we have a deal?"

~

Dream rode on a horse, a brilliant white steed, with Tommy asleep on his shoulder. Flanking his sides were Techno and Wilbur, and leading them across the desert was an older man; not as old as the other prisoner in the dungeon, this man didn't look _near_ as ordinary as the old man did.

He wore extravagant black and dark red clothing with gold around his shoulder, marking him as a rich and powerful man. Slicked, dark brown hair and sideburns contrasted with the white rams' horns curled around his goat-like ears.

In his left hand, he held a gold goat staff, it's horns curving to create a small, glowing yellow sun in the space in the middle. Its ruby eyes shimmered in the moonlight, almost matching the goat-mans orange-red eyes, minus the rectangular pupil, of course.

The way he held himself, the confidence, the assurance that nothing bad would happen to him, the way the moonlight glittered off the sword at his hip...

He looked more terrifying than Techno at that moment.

~

Philza was going to kill him.

Techno sighed as he watched Dream ride up to the man and strike a conversation. He had introduced himself as Jschlatt once they had escaped the dungeon, and was now taking them to the "Cave of Wonders".

In the wise words of Sun Tzu, "if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles,".

In Techno's eyes, Jschlatt was the enemy, and he didn't know a _thing_ about him.

Techno didn't like that.

Wilbur rode up next to him, his mouth in a straight line, worry and concern etched into every feature. "What do you make of the new guy?"

Techno sighed, "I don't know man, I don't know anything about 'em."

"Enemy?"

"For now."

Techno held up his trident. "I still have this, though." Wilbur smiled, and that was the end of that conversation.

~

It was the middle of the night, and they were _still_ traveling.

Wilbur sighed, looking around at the group for the umpteenth time. 

Techno was bringing up the rear with his crossbow in his hands, Schlatt was at the front, and ahead of Wilbur sat Dream and Tommy, talking with each other. 

_'And even Dream looks tired,'_ Wilbur noted.

But that was a problem for another time.

In the distance, three figures made their way towards Wilbur's group, walking through the sand on camels like theirs. The one in the lead was dressed in browns and whites, with black hair and something small and brown sticking out of his head. From so far away, Wilbur couldn't tell what it was. 

_That_ made him uneasy.

The person talking animatedly beside the raven-haired guy also had black hair, though his skin was a lot darker. He seemed to be dragging something big alongside him, though Wilbur couldn't make it out. He was dressed finely in brown and bright green clothes, but not nearly as nice as a noble.

_'So he's a trader,'_

The last person in their group was next to the half-and-half one. He was dressed in rich blue robes with white trim that seemed to go with his dark brown hair.

Wilbur watched as the blue guy laughed at something the others said then leaned forward to reply. The one with animal ears on his head reached over to smack him while the green and brown one laughed.

Within a few minutes, the trio had reached Wilbur's little group. The trader stepped forward, smiling. "Hello!" he chirped. Wilbur noticed the blue man and the one with the ears stayed behind him. "I'm Tapl! This is Spifey," Tapl gestured to where the guy with animal ears was. "And this is Vurb!" He pointed to the one in blue. Spifey moved forward, looking around at Wilbur's group. "Are you guys going somewhere?" he asked. 

Wilbur looked over at Dream, who seemed to be eyeing the strangers. 

So he wasn't going to help.

"Yep, to the Cave of Wonders," Wilbur replied. At this, Spifey's eyes lit up. "Oh! I've heard of that legend!" He looked to his right, where Vurb was. "Hey, do you remember that prophecy that Finn told us?" 

Vurb nodded. "Yeah, he was going on about how important it was," he tilted his head, staring at Dream. "He also said to repeat it to the 'masked man'."

That caught Dream's attention. "I'm the masked man?" he asked. Vurb nodded again. "I think so. Do you want to hear it?"

After that question, many things happened. 

Dream nodded.

Wilbur got a bad feeling.

Techno realized something.

Schlatt panicked.

Spifey looked at Tapl.

Tapl glanced at Vurb.

Tommy yawned.

And Vurb cleared his throat.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice the Hamilton refrence? ;)


	7. How Can We Make Amends When We Said All We Said?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... It's been a few day-
> 
> Hello! The updates have been inconsistent; you'll read more in the end note.  
> But for now, enjoy this really short chapter, and tell me what you think!
> 
> (Title from Luck, by American Authors)
> 
> <3  
> Katsu!

George was pissed. No, that put it too lightly. He was past the screaming and stomping stage of his anger; now he was silent.

And now that he had time to think over his situation-how he was back in the very place he tried to escape-he realized something.

George grimaced, making his way to his father's study. If he wanted change, then he would have to take it up with him.

He may be quiet, but like _hell_ he was speechless.

~

Fundy sighed, shifting from foot to foot.

"Stop that. You're making _me_ restless," a man appeared from the shadows, dark glasses covering his eyes. Fundy's ear twitched when the man smiled. He tried to lean against the wall for support but missed. The man watched in amusement as the fox shifter flailed until he regained his balance. "Are you done?"

Fundy leveled a glare at him, ignoring the question. "Is Sapnap guarded?"

The man sighed. "Yes."

"Are you _sure?_ I mean, not to place blame-"

"Fundy..."

"-but last time he was out-"

"Fundy."

"-he nearly wiped out an entire-"

"Fucking country, yes I know!" The man snapped. He took off his glasses, revealing blinding white eyes. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he said, "Yes, I get it, it was my fault that he got into the wrong hands! As I've told you before," he looked at Fundy who looked apologetic. "I take full damn responsibility."

With that, the man turned to go back to wherever he came from when Fundy reached out a hand. He gripped his shoulder, causing him to stop. "Eret, 'm sorry," Fundy looked down. "I didn't mean-"

Eret brushed him off. "Save it. We have people coming in," he checked his watch. "2 hours and 31 minutes. Get ready."

~

When he walked into his father's study, it was silent.

 _Too_ silent.

When he looked at the worn chair, usually filled with his father, George gasped.

His father, the Sultan of Agrabah, was gone, and the only trace of him being there was a dried trail of blood.

~

After the first few seconds of Vurb speaking, Dream wanted to run. 

"Beware of the man mixed with the ram," Vurb started. "Beware of a Cave that may be a scam," Dream traded a glance with Techno. 

_'Jschlatt has ram horns, and he is taking us to a mythical cave. We have no idea what he will do.'_

_"_ Help thy trapped bird, dying to break free, but do not forget the friends that helped thee," Dream's mind flashed to Tubbo, Skeppy, Philza, Sam, and so many others he had left behind in the market.

"Beware of a fox, who's neither a friend nor foe, or a man who follows blindly, eyes a white glow," He glanced at Wilbur, who looked as confused as he felt. "Rub the lamp, and release you may, a being who will help thy see the following day."

Vurb breathed the last part of the ominous sentence. Dream thought he was finished.

He was wrong, of course.

"Wear a veil in this masquerade," Vurb was nearly whispering now. "Or thy won't get past this initial barricade. Follow this dance, hit all the right notes..." 

Dream inhaled as he trailed off. 

"And to this ideal, pretend you're devote," 

~

George, while blissfully unaware of Dream's predicament, was panicking.

His father was gone.

The rock in his storm, the eye of his hurricane, the calm to his chaos.

Gone, like he was never there in the first place.

Against all of his instincts screaming, _'Get the hell outta there!',_ he followed the blood.

~

Dream glanced at the pile of sand in front of Schlatt.

They have arrived at the Cave, or so he insisted.

Schlatt got off his camel, prompting the others to do the same. "This is what you wanted to fucking show us?" Wilbur asked, glaring at their guide. Techno snorted, unimpressed. Schlatt paid them no mind, instead turning to Dream with a glint in his eyes. "Go on now, stand in front of it."

He did as he asked. Giving Tommy to Techno, Dream began to walk towards the sand. Standing in front of it, he started to have doubts.

_'Beware of the man mixed with the ram_

_Beware of a Cave that may be a scam._

_Help the trapped bird, dying to break free_

_But do not forget the friends that helped thee._

_Beware of a fox, who's neither a friend nor foe_

_Or a man who follows blindly, eyes a white glow._

_Rub the lamp, and release you may_

_A being who will help thy see the following day_

_Wear a veil in this masquerade_

_Or thy won't get past this initial barricade._

_Follow this dance, hit all the right notes_

_And to this ideal, pretend you're devote'_

The poem played in his head as he studied the sand. Wilbur had deduced that the first two lines referred to the Cave and Jschlatt but had no idea what the others meant. Techno had mentioned that he once knew a blind man who had glowing eyes named Eret but didn't know what the fox lines were for.

What really confused Dream was the last four lines. Was he supposed to dance for people? Or maybe have to break into some military base? Perhaps he needed to sing, or attend some royal party.

After mulling over it for hours, he still had no idea.

Stepping forward until his foot hit the bottom of the plie, Dream glanced back at his group. Schlatt was smiling and rubbing his hands together; Techno was holding Tommy and seeming to plot his murder; Wilbur looked torn between looking amused and glaring at Schlatt; Tommy was trying to escape Techno's hold to attack Schlatt. 

**"Who disturbs my slumber?"**

"What the _FUCK_?!" Tommy, Dream, and Wilbur screeched. Techno whipped out his crossbow to point it at Schlatt, who looked _way_ too gleeful at the thundering voice.

"What the shit?! Who the hell just fucking spoke?" Wilbur spun around, hands raised, ready for an ambush.

On cue, the giant pile of sand _moved._

“It’s fucking ALIVE!” Tommy screamed. 

“WHAT THE HELL?!" Dream leaped away from the emerging stone, colliding with Wilbur and bringing them both to the ground.

Schlatt laughed, though he did take a step back when the moving stone morphed into some animal. 

It looked down at the group, unimpressed. Dream forced himself to step forward.

_'If I die, Tommy is_ not _getting his discs back.'_

The stone animal focused its attention on the poor masked man in front of it. **"Only one may enter here, one whose worth lies far within. A diamond in the rough."**

Dream looked at it, confused. Schlatt walked to him. "Go on now, say your name," he hissed.

The Cave spoke again, somehow sounding annoyed. **"Who dares walk this path?"**

Schlatt had scuttled back to where Wilbur and Techno were. Without him noticing, Tommy had hopped onto Dream's shoulder. "Holy shit," he whispered, then spoke louder. "Um, me. I'm Dream."

The Cave looked down upon him and seemed to be studying him. **"Proceed. Touch nothing aside from the item you seek."**

The Cave roared, then burst open to create a thin and steep staircase. It lead down, with no end in sight; a yawning tunnel of darkness. Schlatt had appeared next to Dream again. "Remember, boy: first fetch me the lamp, and then you shall have your reward," he hissed.

Dream looked back to Wilbur and Techno. "This is your last chance. You can go back, leave this," he gestured with his arms. Techno seemed hesitant, as he never was a fan of dark, enclosed spaces, but Wilbur nearly bounded over. "Are you kidding me? A chance to leave behind a legacy?" He started to go down the steps. "Let's go!"

Techno sighed then put a hand on Dream's shoulder. "If I don't go, the idiot will get 'em self killed," he sighed, then went after Wilbur. He stopped at the second step. "You coming?"

~

"Techno, you're like an abusive girlfriend. You tell me when I'm shit, but then you tell me I'm good and I keep coming back to you" Wilbur was rattling on as they descended the stairs. They all seemed nervous, Techno especially. He looked like he was about to bolt, constantly checking behind him despite Dream being there. 

"Y'know," Dream began. "you don't need to be so paranoid," he paused for a second. "Or stressed."

"The thing is," Techno let out a strangled laugh. "I'm always stressed."

~

He couldn't believe his eyes. The floor was made out of shining iron, with emerald-encrusted walls. There were so _many_ different jewels just lying around in piles of gold, waiting to be snatched.

Dream blinked, amazed by the sheer amount of wealth in front of him.

Wilbur whooped and ran towards a pile to the left. Techno, who now had Tommy, stared with Dream until he spotted a pile of gems to the right. He started towards it, leaving Dream at the entrance.

"Well, would you look at that! Just a handful of this stuff would make me richer than the sultan!" he muttered. Then his head snapped up. "Wilbur! Tommy, Techno! Don't touch the stuff! Didn't you hear the Cave? We gotta find the lamp."

Grumbling, they met up and started to walk again.

Completely unaware of the fox following them.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like it? 
> 
> So. Updates.  
> I plan on updating either Mondays or Fridays... They're the least busy for me, so I should have some more time to write :D  
> It should be every week, but I don't know yet. This isn't set in stone or anything- I'm just giving myself a deadline to meet.
> 
> So! In all, I plan on one (1) update every week for this story.
> 
> That's all!
> 
> Enjoy your day/night!  
> <3  
> Katsu!


	8. And It Feels Like Yesterday Was A Year Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short!! I hate the ending sooo....
> 
> BUT! I don't know how I forgot to do this earlier, but @melavsvs ! Her art on twitter is AMAZING!!  
> The link: https://twitter.com/melavsvs/status/1329603561659932673?s=19  
> and   
> https://twitter.com/melavsvs/status/1329603573299089408?s=19  
> Check it out! She's been a HUGE help in this!  
> Thank you!!  
> Enjoy your (short) read!
> 
> (Title from "everything i wanted" by Billie Eilish)

Wilbur followed Dream as he passed mounds of the treasure. Every part of him was itching to just grab as much as he could take get the hell out of there.

So, when they passed a mound of sparkling gems, he snatched a few and put them in his pocket.

The Cave rumbled.

~

They had been walking for nearly 45 minutes now.

Dream sighed as they passed yet  _another_ heap of sparkling riches. He checked behind him for the others and-

"WILBUR GET DOWN," Dream flung a knife at the floating carpet as Wilbur hit the ground. The carpet  _flew_ upwards as Techno spun around to smack it with his sword.

He missed, but points for trying.

"I'M GONNA START STABBING SHIT!" Tommy screeched and used Dream's head as a springboard, jumping off to catch the flying rug. He latched on and began to struggle with it in the air.

"Tommy! Holy shit!" Dream ducked the flying mass of threads and fur. Wilbur was shouting now, pulling out his crossbow to try to hit the carpet. He fired a bolt but missed. 

A small flash of light lit the cave then-

"Dream!"

Dream ducked, and a trident flew through the air. It embedded itself into the carpet's top left corner, pinning it to the wall next to Wilbur's arrow. It flailed for a second, throwing Tommy off, before falling limp. He screeched then returned to Dream's shoulder.

Another small flash of light and Techno's hand had been filled with his sword again. He held it up to the carpet, which seemed to recoil at the threat.

_'Can it see us? Yes of course it can see us, idiot.'_

Now that he was no longer ducking it, Dream inched closer to better see the carpet. Its tassels were a fine gold, and it was outlined with the same trim. The top half was a vibrant pink that seemed to fade into purple. The bottom was a royal blue and scattered across the fabric were small white designs; stars, swirls, and vein-like lines made up most of them. It straightened when he moved closer, now it looked like it was standing.

Wilbur was come to stand beside Dream. "What the  _fuck_ are you?" He stabbed a finger at the carpet, which seemed to wilt.

Techno stood beside Wilbur. He looked at the carpet. "Blood for the Blood God?" he asked hopefully. 

Dream and Wilbur quieted him with a glare.

~

Fundy snuck out from behind a rock. To any other person. he would look like a normal fox; a lone animal who had gotten himself stuck in a cave.

Oh, how wrong they would be.

He padded closer to the group the reeled back in horror.

_'Fucking idiots!'_

They had pinned the carpet to the wall and were now standing in a semi-circle around it. The one with a beanie was yelling at the poor thing. The man started forward, even closer, until the one with a mask held out a hand to stop him.

"Wilbur, no, it's a  _carpet,"_ he hissed. The man with a pig skull nodded in agreement.

Fundy inched closer. He was meant to derail people in the Cave, lead them to their deaths, get them away from the lamp, tempt them with something else, but something about these people-he couldn't put his finger on it-stopped him from leading them to the snake pit. He frowned.

He didn't like that feeling.

~

"Wilbur, I swear to all the Gods," Dream was  _this_ close to slapping him. "If you threaten the carpet with a song  _one more time-"_ He was cut off by Techno's laughter.

Oh, how he hated his friends at times.

Tommy hopped near the carpet. "You bitch! You nearly  _killed_ me-"

Dream stepped in. "Tommy, shut up," the monkey looked offended, but he could deal with that later. He turned back to the carpet. "Can you take us to the lamp?"

~ 

George let out a little laugh. How did he not know about this? There was a literal  _sign_ that said, "Schlatt's Drug Lab".

He walked farther into the laboratory, admiring the different contraptions.

He still had no idea how he ended up there. After all, he thought he knew the palace like the back of his hand.

"Wha-" a laugh. "George.  _¿Qué carajo?_ Why are you here?" Quackity's voice trailed off as George rounded a corner. "Um. Yeah, you're not supposed to see this..."

George gasped.

_'Oh hell no.'_

~

They were flying.

They were  _flying._

They were  _flying_ on a _carpet._

_They were flying through a cave on a magic fucking carpet._

Dream thought this couldn't get any weirder.

Of course, he was wrong.

They flew through a long corridor, rubies and little gold pieces flashing in the walls. Soon, the carpet swerved left, and they emerged in a giant cavern. Dream heard Techno gasp slightly and Wilbur breathe, "Holy  _shit._ "

Even Tommy was silent as they took in the wonders.

It wasn't like the beginning of the Cave, where gold and jewels were just thrown around; this area was neat, everything put a place. Every piece was polished to perfection, not a speck of dust was seen.

Someone had been there before them.

In the center of the room was a pillar with a staircase going up to it. It was surrounded by water with stones placed unevenly, forming a bridge up to the top, where a beam of light shone down onto an oil lamp.

_'How the hell is light coming in? We're in a_ cave.'

The carpet set them down and they got off. "Do you think that's the lamp Schlatt was talking about?" Wilbur pointed to the lamp. Techno looked around. "Yep," he turned to Dream. "Are you going to get it?" 

Before he could respond, a voice came from behind them. 

"What the fuck?"

They whirled around to face a man glaring at the carpet with his arms crossed. He had curly brown hair and wore black shades to cover his eyes. A white glow came from behind them.  "Carpet, why are they  _here_ ?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead turning his glare on Dream. "And who the hell are you?"

Dream stiffened. "Who I-"

"Eret?" Techno cut him off. Eret's eyes lit up with recognition. _Literally._ They seemed to glow brighter when he turned his attenton on Techno. "Holy- Technoblade!" He moved forward and extended a hand. "It's good to see you man, but why are you down here?"

Techno shook it and smiled. "Pleasure," he looked around. "Well, I would say that a supposedly evil goat-man lead us to a magical cave full of gold, but that would be ridiculous."

Eret laughed, though it had no humor in it. "Jschlatt, yes, I've heard," he tugged on Techno's arm. "Come over here, there's something you need to know."

~ 

~Wilbur watched as Techno walked away with Eret, leaving him with Tommy and Dream. "So," he drawled. "Are we gonna get the lamp?"

Dream laughed slightly. "Yeah, that's what we came for."

Within seconds, Dream had managed to get a third of the way up the stones, and for the first time since they came into the Cave, Wilbur had hope that this would pay off.

They would come out of this alive.

Right?

~ 

Fundy  _really_ didn't like these people. With the masked man trying to scramble up the stones and Eret whisking away the man in the skull, he had no idea how this would turn out.

_'But what_ was _his name? Teno? Taco? Does it matter?'_

A small pale-orange flash of light, and then a human male was standing where a fox used to be. Fundy walked closer to Wilbur and the monkey, who were watching the masked man climb the stone stairs.

_'This is gonna be fun.'_

~

Wilbur watched as something decided to move closer, sticking to the shadows. The spark of hope that they would get out alive was starting to fade as the something moved closer.

"So!" The something - a man - appeared out of the shadows, an easy smile on his face. "Why-" Tommy jumped and glared at the man. "Who the hell are you?"

A frown flashed over the man's face before it returned to its original smile. "I'm Fundy."

Wilbur looked over at Fundy, taking in his appearance.

_'What the_ fuck _are those things on his head?'_

He was dressed in a loose black long-sleeved vest with orange, yellow, and blue stripes on the sides and loose blue pants. He seemed to be wearing some gold bracelets, which Wilbur thought came from the cave that they were in. His head was covered with a black hat with some gold insignia, and what appeared to be fox ears stuck out from under them. A bushy orange tail suddenly swished into view behind Fundy.

Wilbur's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help the words that tumbled out. "You're a furry!"

Fundy sent a scathing glare Wilbur's way. "No, I am not a gods-damned furry."

Tommy was laughing, and Wilbur was trying to contain his own giggles. He reached over to pat Fundy's head. "Now, now, it's ok-" he cooed. The fox swatted his hand away and stepped back. "I am  _not_ a furry."

"But you have a tail and ears!"

"I am a  _shifter."_

"Or maybe a cosplayer?"

"Do not disrespect me like this!" 

"Are you from an _anime_?"

Fundy jabbed a finger at Wilbur, who was now outright laughing. "I am a fucking  _fox shifter,_ " he hissed. That only made Wilbur laugh harder and double over, nearly dislodging Tommy.

"A furry fox shifter," Wilbur wheezed.

Fundy hissed and threw up his arms. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

After a few moments of Wilbur giggles and Tommy demonic laughter, Fundy turned to face them. His ear twitched in agitation. "Are you done?"

"Ah, yes," Wilbur cleared his throat. He looked at Fundy, dead serious. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"

Fundy sighed. "Look, man, I don't know how to tell you this, but Dream?" He paused. Tommy rolled his eyes at his theatrics. "Yeah, he's just using you." Fundy paused again. "I know people like him; they will stop at nothing to get what they want." Wilbur and Tommy glanced at each other, a single thought went through their heads.

_'Who the fuck is this guy?'_

~

Dream huffed as he walked up the last step. He glared at the lamp.

There it sat, in all its dull glory. 

"This is it?" He sighed. "This is what we came all the way down here to-" Dream looked down, where a man was offering Tommy a ruby. Wilbur was by the carpet watching this, and making no move to stop it.

Dream watched in horror as Tommy, the absolute  _fool,_ took it. 

"Gods be damned-Tommy NO!"

Tommy looked up, but then it was too late. The Cave began to shake, and Dream could somehow  _feel_ that the Cave was angry.

**"Infidels!"**

_'Lo and behold, I was right. Fuck."_

Tommy let out a string of curses and dropped the ruby like it was coal. 

Judging by the way it had started to glow an angry red, it probably was.

**"You dared to touch the treasure beside the one you seek."**

Dream looked around, taking note of everything as the shaking became more violent.

**"Prepare to never again see the light of day"**

_'Aha... Fuck.'_

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok it's still technically Friday here-  
> As you can see, not my best work. When I'm not all -.*jazzed*.- from coffee, I'll edit it lol.
> 
> wooo.... ngl was kinda stressed about the deadline I set, so it's kinda rushed...   
> Ahaha...
> 
> SPANISH TRANSLATION:  
> ¿Qué carajo? = What the fuck?  
> (This is the edit... Not that much changed)
> 
> Enjoy your day/night!  
> <3,  
> Katsu!


	9. Don't Know if I'm Gonna Make It Out Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just killed a god, feeling good.  
> But anyways! Y'alls comments were so SWEET. I teared up reading them! Thank you! <3  
> Welp, I'm back!
> 
> (Title from "Teeth" by 5 seconds of summer)

Dream watched in horror as the jewel-clad walls split open to pour lava into the cavern. "What the-" he started as he looked down, not at the lava, but at the people down below him.

Techno was sitting on the floating carpet, looking disturbed; Wilbur had Tommy in his shoulders and was parkouring to get to Techno, and Eret and the fox that was talking to them had vanished.

_'Where the hell did they go?'_

Dream glanced around him again, eyes flashing as he tried to figure out the fastest way to get out.

He could feel his cortisol levels rising.

This was a "high stress" situation, where he had to make split-second decisions.

He always did well in those.

Trembling slightly, Dream seized the lamp and pushed it into his satchel. Muttering curses as he raced down the stones to the others, a stray droplet of lava came flying towards him. He ducked it and looked behind him. 

He was halfway down the stairs.

That's when he felt the stones ripple, then flattened into a ramp. 

Dream spewed a string of profanities as he slid down the bridge. Avoiding another spray of the liquid fire, he looked left then right and saw the cave start to crumble. Rocks were exploding from the rising heat, falling from the ceiling towards him. Wilbur and Tommy had made it to the carpet and it had lifted off, trying its best to escape the falling rocks.

He noticed this in less than two seconds because now he was at the end of the ramp. Sharp rocks jutting out of the once-smooth ground greeted him as he plummeted towards what seemed to be his death.

_'It's been too short, I'm not ready for this, my_ life _, to end-'_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wilbur, Tommy, and Techno riding on the carpet. Instinctively, Dream reached out a hand, which caught a tassel right as a rock fell where he had been a moment ago.

Wilbur pulled him up, a manic smile on his face. "What's popping?" he practically cackled. Techno rolled his eyes as Dream tried to catch his breath. "Let's _go_."

They raced back through the caves, dodging the crumbling walls and falling debris. When the carpet got too close to a stream of lava, Tommy let out a terrified shriek and latched onto Dream's head, covering his eyes. He sighed, "Tommy, this is no time to panic, calm down." Pulling Tommy off his head he was greeted with a quickly approaching wall. 

"Start panicking," Techno quipped

The carpet went into a dive, then through another cave, leaving a trail of dust behind them. Wilbur shouted as the carpet shot past some falling boulders, narrowly avoiding getting crushed.

Soon, they were in the first room, where they came in. Flying to the stairs, Dream smiled as they neared the entrance. He saw Jschaltt at the entrance, glaring down as they flew towards him. When his eyes landed on the lamp, his face split into a terrifying grin.

They were close.

Oh, so _close._

He tucked the lamp in his sash, securing it with a tug as the carpet flew up the stairs that made up the stone animals' "throat".

10 meters until they reached the entrance.

6 meters until they were in the light.

4.

2 meters, when a boulder drops on the carpet, sending it to the floor.

Dream was thrown forwards, reaching out and grabbing onto the rock wall. He felt his hand slip and quickly readjusted his hold. Looking up, he saw Schlatt staring down at him, surrounded by the outside light like a halo, making no move to aid him. The sounds of more rocks falling, Wilbur's scream as a rock falls on his leg, Techno's grunts as he tries to move him away, Tommy's screech as he leaps onto Dream all faded to the background. He needed to focus on how to get them out of here _alive._

He risked a glance downward, only to see the staircase crumbling away. Thank Allah that Wilbur and Techno got out of the way.

"Dude! Try to help out a little?" Dream's hand shifted closer to the edge of the rock as he yelled at the man above him.

Schlatt huffed, a bit of panic entering his eyes when he saw the lamp slip out of the sash and dangerously close to the lava. "Throw me the lamp first."

"I can't get up!"

"Do I look like I give a shit? Give me the fucking lamp!"

Against his better judgment, Dream handed the lamp to the man above him. The second the object left his fingers, regret coursed through his body. 

_'Why? Why do I care about a lamp? Or is it because I gave up the object that makes me "useful" in his situation? Oh shit.'_

Jschaltt started cackling. "Yes! At last!" He turned away from the cave to place the lamp down onto the sand.

Swinging his leg over the edge, Dream pulled himself onto the ground, into the light. As he was starting to stand, slightly disoriented from the sudden sun, he saw Schlatt pull something from his robes. 

"What are you doing?" He asked, raising his hands, ready to defend himself.

Schlatt smiled, his teeth glinting in a not-so-pleasant way. "Giving you your reward. Your eternal reward."

Pulling out a dagger blacker than obsidian, he moved to stab Dream, aiming for his exposed shoulder, when a burst of fur jumped at him.

Tommy bites him on his wrist, screeching something incomprehensible. Schlatt let out a guttural scream, throwing him and Dream back into the cave.

Falling down into the dark, Dream could hear the cave close with a final rumble before something hard hit his head and he was out like a light.

~

"What's- Fuck that's DREAM!" Wilbur screamed as he watched his friend bounce from the rock wall to a jutting ledge, then fall closer to the unforgiving ground. Wilbur turned to the floating carpet, on the edge of hysteria. "Can't you do something about this?" 

"Stop talking and get on, Wilbur." Techno's voice was slightly higher than usual as he held out a hand to pull his brother up onto the floating carpet. As soon as Wilbur was on, the carpet shot off, streaming towards Dream and Tommy.

With a thump, they landed in the middle of the carpet. Wilbur winced when he took in Dream's appearance. His blood was leaking from where his head had crashed into the ledge and his body was already starting to bruise from his fall. Tommy was luckier. He was still slightly conscious, having been protected by Dream, yet he still was slightly bruised.

"Well shit," Techno murmured.

~

Wilbur could tell when Dream awoke. To be fair, he had been staring at the man for the past few hours, but how could he not? He was concerned for his friend.

_'This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't let them go. They would have listened to you. You could have saved Dream this pain. You could have kept them safe. You could have-'_

He shut down that train of thought. Personally, he thought fate was bullshit, but he had a sinking feeling that no matter what he had done, Dream would have still gotten to the Cave.

"Oh my gods, my head..." Dream's groggy voice filled the cave. Wilbur turned towards him, relief and concern in his features. "You're finally awake, thank the gods."

Dream blinked. "We're still in the Cave? How long was I out?"

"Yep," Wilbur popped the p. "You've been in and out of it for about a day now. Tech's been exploring the rest of the caves, looking for food, water, anything, really." He tilted his head. "Though we haven't found Fundy or Eret yet. You would think that they would show up. Maybe they got killed. Maybe they're still alive and watching us from somewhere; we don't know"

"We're trapped then." 

"Indeed. Though Tommy - he's fine, don't worry - managed to get the lamp from Schlatt when he bit him." Wilbur pulled the object from his sash, handing it to Dream. 

"It looks like such a beat-up, worthless piece of junk," Dream turned the lamp around in his hands. "Hey, I think there's something written here, but it's hard to make out." 

He held it closer to his face, the dim copper seemingly glowing in the cave. He was right, there was something scratched in the metal, but layers of dust had covered it up.

"You sure that's a good idea? You just woke up." Wilbur said, clearly concerned.

Dream muttered, 'I'm fine', and rubbed some of the dust off.

The lamp started to shake and glow as soon as his hand left it. Red smoke poured out of the spout, billowing and swirling into a dense, human-shaped cloud. Wilbur yelped and jumped back, scrambling away from the red form. "Dream! Dream, tell me you're seeing this?"

Dream gaped at it, standing up. "What the fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Disappearing for two months? More likely than you think.  
> Anyways, I'm pretty sure that the 'Hits' on this thing went up while I was in hell, so THANK YOUUUU!!!!!!  
> Sorry I was gone so long! Life is good now! :D
> 
> I hate to (kinda??) self-promote, but this man, RingToss! He's an aspiring writer, and posted a dnf fanfic, with me as a co-writer!  
> {Edit: He has taken it down, and is rewriting it lmao. Sorry for being misleading!)  
> Also, I have a few WIPs that I might post sooner or later, so I wanted y'alls opinion: Post one or wait?  
> (One of them is in space, one of them is a one-shot that is clothes shopping (dnf), and one is karaoke (karlnap))
> 
> All in all, sorry for being gone! And you guys are so nice!! TTwTT  
> Don't forget to take care of yourself! Stay hydrated and take a nap if you need one!!  
> <333  
> Katsu!!


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